To access a patient's vascular system for an invasive medical procedure such as catheterization or similar procedures, a puncture is made in e.g. the femoral artery or the radial artery. The present invention is related to radial artery procedures. Following an invasive medical procedure, such as catheterisation or similar invasive medical procedure, the flow of blood through the puncture wound has to be stopped, so that haemostasis can begin as soon and fast as possible after the completion of the invasive medical procedure. Several devices have been suggested that facilitate and accelerate this haemostasis by providing a compression pressure that compresses blood vessels in various parts of the body to stop the flow of blood therethrough.
In the case of radial artery catheterisation, several radial artery occluders have been developed that stop the flow of blood through the puncture wound in the wrist by applying a compression force that occludes the radial artery. An illustrative example of such a pressure-applying device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,601,597. This known artery occluder comprises a wrist splint, an adjustable securing strap attached to one end of the splint, and an adjustable pressure strap attached to the other end of the splint and provided with a pressure pad. When the artery occluder is mounted around the forearm of a patient, the wrist splint extends along the distal end of the forearm and the back of the wrist and hand, the securing strap extends around the palm of the hand, and the pressure strap extends around the distal end of the forearm, with the pressure pad being positioned over the puncture wound in the radial artery. During use of this occluder, the adjustable pressure strap is slowly tightened over the bleeding wound in the radial artery until the flow of blood in the radial artery has stopped at the wound. This aids haemostasis in the wound, but allows the ulnar artery to deliver enough blood to ensure tissue viability. In addition, the adjustable securing strap is tightened around the palm of the hand to help immobilize the wrist.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,647,986 shows a hand/wrist positioning splint to keep the hand positioned for radial artery access and to permit application of a haemostasis band. Two straps are used to secure the patient's hand to the splint and the haemostasis band comprises buckles to apply sufficient pressure to the puncture site.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,498,477 discloses a haemostatic device with a flexible band adapted to be wrapped around a patient's limb where bleeding is to be stopped at a puncture site. The band has a curved plate that is transparent to ensure the puncture site being visible through the band.
From WO 2004/017841 is a radial artery compression system known. The system comprises a splint with a supporting structure in order to hinder the splint to wobble when placed on a flat surface. Further, the system has three straps whereby one is a compression strap.
Another compression device for radial artery is shown in NL 1016025. The device uses two bands to secure the wrist and a third band is used to stop bleeding at a puncture site.
And finally, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,798,199, an arterial wrist support is disclosed used to support a patient's extremity for arterial or intravenous care that includes a substantial rigid, unitary moulded body adapted to matingly engage the patient's hand, wrist and at least a portion of the patient's forearm.
The inventors have realized that it is of great importance that the forearm is steadily fixated during the entire procedure such that the forearm bones, the radial and ulnar bones are held steady.
Thus, it is an object of the invention to provide an improved system that enables an accurately applied pressurization against a puncture site, and in particular enables a following adjustment of the applied pressure to the puncture site.
It is a further object of the invention to provide an improved system which is easy to handle and economical to manufacture and ship to the end user.